Writer: Chuck Dixon
Artist: Steve Epting
Publisher: CrossGen
I don't get what the rage is about El Cazador. Chuck Dixon is using a very formulaic, unexciting, approach which is both predictable and stale, to tell this half-worthy tale of pirates in 1687. Pirates attacking the Spanish fleet? Seen it before. The tough pirate captain, leaving a chance for mutiny? Seen it before? A woman taking control of a ship and having all the former hands immediately follow her? Not seen it before, but that doesn't make any sense.
It seems that Chuck Austen…err Dixon was trying to place the emphasis less on the story itself, and more on the pirate jargon and diary entry of La Miseracordia. Unfortunately, this is also very obvious, and routed as a "flavor of the month" following the success of Pirates of the Carribean. My eagle-eyed colleague, Brian McCoy, also reminded me of a poor case of writing on Chuck Dixon's part in which he compares "freed slaves" with, "thieves" and "deserters." You won't want to come back for the next issue after this. El Cazador has no soul.
The rage might be routed through Steve Epting's art, which is admittedly stunning in its painted realism. That's with the exception of close-ups, as the one on page seven, look more "comic" than "painted", and out of place in the story.
Not terrible, but way too obvious to be engaging for the cover price. It sounds like pretty much everything else Chuck Dixon has done for CrossGen, and we all know there's plenty of that already.
What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!